INTRODUCTION 7 



year. The earlier singing species, such as Thrushes, 

 Wrens, Robins, Accentors and Chaffinches, show a 

 trifling falhng off. The one singer, however, whose 

 note appears to suffer greatest decHne is the Cuckoo, 

 and towards the end of the month especially his 

 mellow call is harsher and the first note is sometimes 

 repeated, a sure sign of its approaching cessation. 



July brings many important changes in the music 

 of the birds. The Song Thrush and the Blackbird 

 become silent during the first three weeks ; the 

 Robin loses his voice after the first ten days or 

 so. The Wren and the Hedge Accentor, however, 

 warble pretty regularly throughout the month, as 

 also do the Yellow Bunting, the Greenfinch and 

 the Sky- Lark. The Willow Wren sings pretty 

 constantly through the month, but the Starling is 

 now an irregular songster. The Blackcap usually 

 becomes silent during the first week, the White- 

 throats a little later : the Tree Pipit and the 

 Chaffinch seldom sing after the middle of the 

 month ; the Meadow Pipit and the Cuckoo are mute 

 after the first eight days. The song of almost every 

 species is hushed some time in July. The reader 

 may be pardoned for inquiring the cause of this 

 silence. This universal hush is due to the approach 

 of the moulting season, a period during which no 

 bird at liberty is known to indulge in song. August 

 is a particularly quiet month amongst the singing 

 birds ; but it is remarkable for one or two events in 



